Jackets Top Hoosiers, Fall to No. 22 Nebraska

THE FLATS – Georgia Tech softball (1-4) recorded its first win of the season with a 4-1 defeat of Indiana (0-7) after coming up short against No. 22 Nebraska (7-1) by a score of 6-5 at Mewborn Field on Friday in day one of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The victory was head coach Aileen Morales’s first since her return to The Flats.

“We played competitive softball today. I am most impressed with how the team responded from a tough loss to Nebraska with a win over Indiana. Anytime you can play errorless softball it gives you the chance to win ball games. This was a great team win.”

Nebraska 6, Georgia Tech 5

The Huskers struck first, putting one up on the board in the second inning off a double to center field. Nebraska added five to their tally in the bottom of the third against sophomore pitcherBrooke Barfield. With a 6-0 deficit, freshman Naomi Dickerson took over in the circle.

The Jackets responded in the top of the fourth. Sophomore Crosby Huckabay reached on a walk, advancing to second on a walk from senior Draven Sonnon. FreshmanLilly Hooper reached on a fielder’s choice and freshmanSkye Webb, pinch hitting for sophomore Sydney Stavro, walked to load the bases. Stavro reentered to run and with the bases loaded and one strike on the board, freshman Breanna Roper sent a dinger out over the center field fence for the grand slam. It was the freshman’s first career hit, Tech’s first hit of the game and brought the score to 6-4 with Huckabay, Hooper, Stavro and Roper crossing the plate.

With Dickerson keeping the Huskers off the board in the bottom of the fourth, junior Katie Krzus added the final score for the Jackets in the top of the fifth, taking a trip around the bases with a solo shot over the left field fence. Dickerson held the Huskers to six runs, allowing only one hit but the Jackets came up just short, falling 6-5. Barfield earned the loss on the game.

Georgia Tech 4, Indiana 1

The Jackets bounced back against Indiana, earning their first win of the season with the 4-1 victory. Emily Anderson pitched a complete game with six scoreless innings, allowing one run in the top of the seventh to blemish her shutout.

The Jackets made their way onto the board in the bottom of the second. Sonnon singled down the right field line to score Krzus who reached on a single down the middle.

Tech took its 1-0 lead into the bottom of the third. The Jackets loaded the bases with no outs and the Hoosiers walked sophomoreRebecca Prairie, bringing in senior Malea Bell who had also reached on a walk. Indiana made a pitching change but still gave Tech the 3-0 lead, walking Krzus to send Roper across the plate who had singled up the middle. Reaching on a fielder’s choice with Stavro out at the plate, senior Kelsey Chisholm hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Prairie for the 4-0 lead.

Anderson held off the Hoosiers until the seventh, when Indiana followed a triple up with a double to score its only run of the game. Anderson struck out her final batter, her seventh of the game, for the win.

Up next:

Tech continues play in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge tomorrow, hosting a rematch with Nebraska at 12:30 p.m at Mewborn Field. The Mew will also play host to a neutral site game between Indiana and Boston College at 10 a.m.